Steve Roland "Pre" Prefontaine (January 25, 1951 – May 30, 1975) was an American middle and long-distance runner who competed in the 1972 Olympics. Enrolled at the University of Oregon to train under coach Bill Bowerman. on Thursday, May 29, Prefontaine took part in an NCAA Prep meet at Hayward Field in Eugene which included a 5,000-meter race that He won. Prefontaine and American athletes attended a party. While returning from the party shortly after midnight, Prefontaine was driving on Skyline Boulevard, east of the University of Oregon campus near Hendricks Park. His orange 1973 MGB convertible swerved into a rock wall (44.0433°N 123.0549°W) and flipped, trapping Prefontaine underneath it. A nearby resident was first on the scene and reported he found Prefontaine flat on his back, still alive but pinned beneath the wreck. By the time medics arrived, he was pronounced dead. It had been reported that his blood alcohol content was 0.16 by the Eugene Police Department, however the accuracy of reported value is disputed by some other testing procedures. Prefontaine is buried at Sunset Memorial Park in Coos Bay. A day after his funeral in Coos Bay, a memorial service at Hayward Field in Eugene drew thousands. Prefontaine's crusade for better equipment inspired Bowerman and Knight to build the Nike empire.

KGW